Texas Gov. Abbott rejects offer to be Donald Trump's vice president

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Donald Trump said Thursday during a visit to the Texas-Mexico border that Gov. Greg Abbott is “absolutely” on his short list of potential vice presidential candidates for his 2024 run.

During a joint interview with Abbott on Fox News, the former president was asked by host Sean Hannity whether Abbott was an option for the position. Trump responded that Abbott is “a spectacular man” and he was honored when the Texas governor endorsed him for president last year.

“And he’s done a great job,” Trump said. “Yeah, certainly he would be somebody that I would very much consider.”

“So he’s on the list?” Hannity said.

“Absolutely, he is,” Trump said, as Abbott listened.

The potential pairing isn't all that surprising. After all, both politicians share an insatiable desire to reduce illegal immigration, as well as other conservative ideologies.

And, each of them is entangled in a long-lasting feud with the Biden administration.

Recently, as he increased military presence at the Texas-Mexico border to slow illegal immigration, Abbott called Biden out, stating that the president is failing at his role to keep America secure.

“President Biden has abandoned his constitutional duty to protect Americans by refusing to secure our southern border,” Abbott said. “During his presidency, Joe Biden has smashed records for illegal immigration and allowed total chaos to be unleashed along our southern border."

Despite having like-minded goals, Abbott downplayed his interest in potentially joining Trump in the Oval Office.

"Obviously it's very nice of him to say, but I think you all know that my focus is entirely on the state of Texas," he said. "As you know, I'm working right now on the midterm election process. I've already talked about that I've announced that I'm running for reelection two years from now, and so my commitment is to Texas and I'm staying in Texas."

When asked if there were any other candidates he'd consider as a running mate, Trump named U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, a former GOP rival for the presidential seat.

While Trump looks for options for his vice president, it remains to be seen if the federally indicted ex-president will even be on the ballot in November.

On Thursday, Illinois joined Maine and Colorado as states that have removed Trump from its primary ballot.

Additionally, Trump was denied absolute immunity in federal appeals court, paving the way for his potential imprisonment. Needless to say, if Trump is jailed before the election, his search for a vice president is all but moot.